Chapter 43: A Thrilling First Encounter, A Reunion Known Only to One part 2
The tempo, slow at first, quickened in the middle, then concluded quietly in the standard fashion.
“Hoo~”
Stretching languidly after finishing her solo performance, Fay stood up sluggishly. Only then did Kassel regain his ability to move and speak, as if emerging from paralysis.
“Miss Fay.”
“Ahh! H-Huh?! When did you get here?”
Startled, Fay turned quickly, her neatly combed, light-pink hair fluttering slightly.
“Just now. I didn’t realize you were playing the piano. My apologies for the intrusion.”
“…It’s fine. I didn’t even know you had arrived.”
Unintentionally performing with an audience in tow, her face turned bright red!
Back when she was staying at Duke Klein’s estate as an Eina, she had been plagued by strange demands to try playing an instrument, all thanks to someone’s coaxing. It was in the very early days, before Dott had even arrived at the estate.
Plucking the harp strings hurt her fingers too much, and playing the flute left her breathless after a while. In the end, she settled on the piano, grand in size yet easy enough for beginners to learn.
Of course, the piano was quickly removed after the Duchess complained that the constant sound was giving her a headache. Back then, the only pieces she had fully mastered were a couple of simple tunes, including <The Little Lady’s Errand>.
She never had much talent for music, so she hadn’t given it a second thought. But now, playing again after so long, just to kill some time before her appointment, had led to this humiliating outcome!
‘Ugh… How embarrassing.’
Naturally, she recognized both Raphael and Prince Astein. Pretending she didn’t know them at all would have felt too dishonest, especially since she had spotted them from afar during the Harvest Festival.
Lowering her head, Fay quietly approached Kassel. As if he had never heard her clumsy piano playing, he spoke in a calm tone.
“Shall we move to the drawing room?”
“…Yes.”
And so, two curious young men, a man with the most serious expression in the world, and a woman whose face had turned as red as a beet sat facing one another.
At least they knew their manners. No one uttered any ridiculous comments about how wonderful her performance had been. They were collectively expressing, in the strongest possible terms, that silence was golden.
Kassel introduced the guests with a gentle tone.
“This is Raphael, Lord Raphael Orleans, whom I had previously promised to meet. He is a member of the Crow Knights and the Young Duke Orleans.”
“Hello. I’m Fay, a mage from the Tower.”
Raphael, noticing that she showed no signs of being intimidated by him, smiled even more brightly than usual.
“I’m Raphael, as just introduced. Feel free to call me by my name.”
“How could I?”
“It is my duty to ensure a lady’s comfort.”
Wink.
Raphael’s smile was so infamous for being excessive that even his fellow knights often commented on it, but Fay remained unfazed. She had seen him far too often in the Arcadnia Hall, where she had stood shivering like a forsaken ice sculpture, while he passed by countless times, sometimes even stopping to offer a kind word.
She had endured too many storms to be easily swayed by such things. If anything, she was just used to it by now.
The real problem was…
“And this is Astein Delphior Arkan, His Highness Prince Astein.”
“So you’re the prince. I’m Fay, a mage from the Tower.”
Recognizing him but pretending not to was more difficult than expected; her eyes instinctively softened.
Like Raphael, Prince Astein and his mother, Queen Rania, were decent people, especially considering their noble status. Even if he had resisted commenting on her piano playing, his curiosity ultimately got the better of him.
“I heard that Miss Fay tamed one of those ferocious Drakans from the books. I really wanted to see the Drakan flight demonstration at the palace, but everyone around me desperately talked me out of it.”
“Is that so?”
“How much does a Drakan eat in a day? I’ve heard they can devour two cows, five sheep, and ten deer without breaking a sweat. Is that true?”
Uh… How much was it again? The feeding trough was absurdly large, but surely it wasn’t that much.
Fay let out a small, bitter laugh and shook her head.
“I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but my Drakan can shrink in size. When it’s small, it eats even less than a person, so it’s manageable. Even at its full size, I doubt it would consume seventeen livestock in a day.”
Well… when there’s particularly delicious meat around, it does eat an alarming amount, but that was something she could let slide.
“Is that so? Fascinating.”
‘Ugh.’
Unlike before, Astein’s sparkling eyes were starting to make her feel pressured. The last time they met, he had been polite but distant. Was this his real personality? His lips fell silent, but his wide eyes still seemed brimming with unspoken questions.
“Yes.”
“If there’s ever another Drakan flight demonstration in the future, I’d love to see it.”
“What do you mean, Your Highness? Please don’t lower your speech for my sake.”
Astein gave a soft smile.
“All right. Miss Fay, it’s truly a pleasure to meet you.”
“…Yes. Likewise.”
Raphael Orleans and Prince Astein.
Though time had brought them back to her, they had no idea who she really was, not even in their dreams. All their memories of her had been erased.
Yet, looking at these two, who had never treated her poorly, Fay felt an odd sense of relief. More so than when she had faced Barbara Gachell and Baroness Gachell.
“What does Miss Fay like?”
“…Pardon?”
His sudden question left her momentarily blank.
What did she like? The question was strangely vague.
“Uh… magic, I suppose?”
“Anything is fine. I’m just curious what mages like Miss Fay usually enjoy. I don’t have any talent for it, but when I was little, I dreamed of becoming a mage.”
